Startup Weekend Kamloops is just a few weeks away and BCIC is once again a proud sponsor! It’s a great time to work in technology in British Columbia… The average annual salary of tech workers is at a new high of $75,000. This is far above the BC average of $45,000 according to the 2014 BC Tech Report Card.

And there are more than 9,000 established tech companies operating in BC today, offering more jobs than the mining, oil and gas, and forestry sectors combined! In other words, the tech industry is certainly an important economic driver in British Columbia.

What contributes to this growth? There’s an incredible network of individuals, industry group and institutions working together to strengthen BC’s tech ecosystem. At BCIC, we do our part by streamlining access to resources, mentors and important programs.

Thanks to hackers and tech enthusiasts like you, the tech sector in BC is becoming increasingly more dynamic, adaptable and forward-looking. Changes are happening as we speak; changes you probably are a part of!

BC has hosted global technology and innovation conferences like SIGGRAPH and ‘30 Years of TED’ and continues to lead as a world-class location to do business.

International giants like Facebook, Ericsson, IBM, Intel, Samsung, Cisco, Sony Imageworks and others also know the value of having a presence in BC. Our newest additions Microsoft, and Amazon opened their new offices in Vancouver in 2014.

3000 engineering and computer science professionals graduate every year from one of BC’s 25 public post-secondary institutions, including 11 universities and 3 technology institutes.

The new Startup Visa has made it ever so easy for talented professionals to build their company in BC. Local founders get the benefit of competitively low taxes and a range of other financial incentives.

YOU are the secret ingredient! If you are a seasoned entrepreneur and would like to give back to the tech community, here is one way to do so – visit MentorshipBC and become a business mentor. And if you happen to hack a brilliant technology this Startup Weekend, connect to one of our programs and it will get your business off the ground!